Have been a nvidia user for - ever- had never been tempted to buy an Ati card mainly because , if memory serves correct, Ati drivers were c... in those days.
Got used to operating nvidia cards i.e. keeping drivers up to date & overclocking (slightly).
Ati drivers improved over the years but still no thought of moving to the dark side as cards did not impress and didn't want to have to learn , again, where to look for drivers, what not to bother installing and running etc (nvidia was running at a minimum after I found out what was really irrelavent)
The 8800GT was,for me, the pinnacle - fast & inexpensive (very nice upgrade!!)
Then I bought the 9800GTX ( a fairly expensive ,small (performance improvement),upgrade) .- that and what happened thereafter (basically nvidia trying imo to s... as much out of me as possible for as small an improvement as they could get away with) convinced it was time to change.
Read the very positive reviews and many positive comments made on these threads about the 4870 and such convinced me and am now the proud owner of the Sapphire model.
Fits motherboard much better tha the 9800(it was crushing two of the Sata cables) as shorter.
No noisier.
Runs a bit hotter 75c under load as compared to about 60/65c.- no worries
Performance - am impressed; only comparisons I have are
3d Mark 2006 - 10413 (ati) from 10287 (not a lot I know)
and Crysis
1280x1024.High. No AA Avge.43.40(40.87)
1900x1200 High No AA Avge 34.99(27.33)
AND 1900x1200 High 4xAA Avge 18.06(10.28)
That last one with AA was the improvement that I'd read about but until I saw it did not really believe !!
Would mention that will be upgrading Opteron 185 S939 to E8400 in next few days so anticipate further improvements.
Anyway main reason for posting this thread was to ask if someone could give me a guide (idiot version preferably) as to what of the various software bits that the card came with I should install e.g the Catalyst control centre/hydravision /hdmi audio etc
AND
whats the best way of keeping drivers up to date - use AMD's? or an other 3rd party etc and how best to install new drivers (is it like the nvidia procedure - uninstall existing,re-start,clean,re-start then install new(having previously downloaded and saved) )
Would very much, as always, appreciate members advise
Got used to operating nvidia cards i.e. keeping drivers up to date & overclocking (slightly).
Ati drivers improved over the years but still no thought of moving to the dark side as cards did not impress and didn't want to have to learn , again, where to look for drivers, what not to bother installing and running etc (nvidia was running at a minimum after I found out what was really irrelavent)
The 8800GT was,for me, the pinnacle - fast & inexpensive (very nice upgrade!!)
Then I bought the 9800GTX ( a fairly expensive ,small (performance improvement),upgrade) .- that and what happened thereafter (basically nvidia trying imo to s... as much out of me as possible for as small an improvement as they could get away with) convinced it was time to change.
Read the very positive reviews and many positive comments made on these threads about the 4870 and such convinced me and am now the proud owner of the Sapphire model.
Fits motherboard much better tha the 9800(it was crushing two of the Sata cables) as shorter.
No noisier.
Runs a bit hotter 75c under load as compared to about 60/65c.- no worries
Performance - am impressed; only comparisons I have are
3d Mark 2006 - 10413 (ati) from 10287 (not a lot I know)
and Crysis
1280x1024.High. No AA Avge.43.40(40.87)
1900x1200 High No AA Avge 34.99(27.33)
AND 1900x1200 High 4xAA Avge 18.06(10.28)
That last one with AA was the improvement that I'd read about but until I saw it did not really believe !!
Would mention that will be upgrading Opteron 185 S939 to E8400 in next few days so anticipate further improvements.
Anyway main reason for posting this thread was to ask if someone could give me a guide (idiot version preferably) as to what of the various software bits that the card came with I should install e.g the Catalyst control centre/hydravision /hdmi audio etc
AND
whats the best way of keeping drivers up to date - use AMD's? or an other 3rd party etc and how best to install new drivers (is it like the nvidia procedure - uninstall existing,re-start,clean,re-start then install new(having previously downloaded and saved) )
Would very much, as always, appreciate members advise
